Team Manager - Children in Care

Bury Council | Children’s Services
Salary: £52,413 – £53,460 | Permanent
Working pattern: Office based 3 days per week (3 Knowsley Place, Bury) | 9-day fortnight available

Bury Council is looking for an experienced LAC Team Manager to lead a stable team of 6 practitioners (1 Advanced Practitioner and 5 Social Workers) and play a key role in Bury’s improvement journey. If you’re confident managing frontline practice, can make decisions at pace, and you genuinely care about outcomes for children in care — this is a brilliant opportunity to step into a service that’s moving forward.

You’ll be joining a supportive management group, working alongside two experienced Team Managers, with additional support from a Service Manager..

About the Role

This is a leadership role within Bury’s Children in Care service, focused on strong oversight, quality assurance, and purposeful care planning. You’ll provide clear direction to your team, ensure statutory responsibilities are met, and drive consistent, high-quality practice for children and young people.

Key Responsibilities

  • Lead and manage a team of social workers and an Advanced Practitioner, providing clear direction and support

  • Oversee casework across the LAC pathway, ensuring high-quality care planning and timely permanence progression

  • Provide consistent supervision, guidance, and challenge to improve practice and decision making

  • Monitor performance and standards, ensuring statutory timescales and safeguarding processes are met

  • Quality assure reports and plans to maintain excellent standards of recording, analysis, and outcomes

  • Work closely with partners and multi-agency professionals to ensure children receive coordinated support

  • Contribute to service development and improvement priorities, embedding learning and best practice across the team

Practice Model

Bury Council is committed to strengths-based, child-focused practice and creating a supportive culture where professionals are empowered to do their best work. Inclusion sits at the heart of Bury’s wider strategy, with a clear focus on development, wellbeing, and continuous improvement across the workforce.

Requirements

  • Social Work qualification (CQSW, DipSW, BA/MA Social Work or equivalent)

  • Social Work England registration

  • Proven Team Manager experience within LAC/CIC or another frontline statutory children’s team

  • Strong safeguarding knowledge and the ability to make clear decisions at pace

  • Confident in leading performance, quality assurance, and professional supervision

  • Able to work on-site 3 days per week in line with the team’s working arrangement

Benefits

  • 9-day working fortnight option

  • Parking available nearby, with parking passes available via the council

  • Generous annual leave entitlement

  • Flexible and agile working opportunities

  • Access to learning & development (including apprenticeships up to Masters level)

  • Health and wellbeing support through the Live Better Feel Better programme

  • Greater Manchester Local Government Pension Scheme

  • Salary sacrifice schemes (car parking, car leasing, cycle to work)

  • Discounts and money-saving deals across retailers

Interviews

Interviews will take place in person, and the hiring manager is happy to have an informal conversation with candidates beforehand if helpful.